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Urge USDA to Finalize Rule to Protect Horses from Abuse!

Dear John,

In January 2017, the US Department of Agriculture, under Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, issued a rule to strengthen enforcement of the Horse Protection Act (HPA). The purpose of the rule was to crack down on the pervasive practice of "soring," whereby unscrupulous trainers deliberately inflict pain on Tennessee walking horses' hooves and legs in order to produce an exaggerated high-stepping gait for competition.

Soring methods include applying caustic chemicals to a horse's limbs, using plastic wrap and tight bandages to "cook" those chemicals deep into the horse's flesh for days, attaching chains to strike against the sore legs, inserting hard objects such as screws into tender areas of the hooves, paring the soles of the feet down to sensitive tissue, and using salicylic acid or other painful substances to slough off scarred tissue in an attempt to disguise the sored areas.

Before the rule could be finalized, however, a new administration took office and froze it. Unfortunately, enforcement of the HPA has plummeted in recent years. With Secretary Vilsack once again heading the USDA, his department should follow through on its stated commitment to finalizing this long-awaited and widely supported rule.

The HPA rule would end the failed system of industry self-policing, whereby employees of the organizations that host shows (typically, exhibitors of Tennessee walking horses themselves) are relied upon to find evidence of abuse. It would ensure that only veterinary professionals and others who are trained and licensed by the USDA inspect horses. The rule would also ban the devices used to sore horses.

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What You Can Do
Please write to Secretary Vilsack and urge the USDA to protect horses by finally issuing a rule to protect horses from soring abuse ([link removed]). Share this action with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to contact Secretary Vilsack as well.

Thank you in advance for your help and for all you do for animals!

Sincerely,

Joanna Grossman, PhD
Equine Program Director and Senior Advisor

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Photo by Clarence Alford

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